1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to doors and hardware related thereto and, more specifically, to an Adjustable Reinforcing Hinge
2. Description of Related Art
Steel-framed doors are widely used in commercial construction. In particular, the hotel industry uses expensive, high-strength steel frames coupled with heavy duty doors in order to provide superior security as well as long-term durability. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional hinged door assembly 10 used in hotels and other commercial buildings. The major components of the assembly 10 are a heavy-duty door 12, a heavy-duty steel door frame 14, and a door hinge 16 interconnecting the two via a hinge pin 18.
The problem with the conventional assembly 10 is that when the assembly 10 is subjected to extreme conditions, such as repetitive door 12 slamming or if the door 12 is struck by maintenance (or other) equipment, it is not uncommon for misalignments to occur in the hinge 16. In particular, the hinge 16 can become partially detached from either the door 12 or frame 14, or both. Once the hinge 16 begins to separate from either of these elements, the door 12 will no longer open and close properly. In fact, it is very common for the door 12 to no longer provide a fume-tight seal when closed; this can create a problem in satisfying fire code requirements. If we turn to FIG. 2, we can examine one version of a device that seeks to repair or protect the hinges of a door such as depicted in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a prior art xe2x80x9cshock pivot hingexe2x80x9d 20 as described in Gwozdz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,561. The Gwozdz pivot hinge 20 consists of a door leaf 22 attached to the door 12 via a plurality of mounting screws 26, and a upper jam leaf 24 attached to the door frame 14 via a plurality of mounting screws 26. The leafs 22 and 24 are interconnected by a pivot pin 28; the pivot hinge 20 is installed such that the axis of the pivot pin 28 is the same axis as the hinge pin 18 (when the door 12 is closed). After installed, the pivot hinge 20 is intended to prevent the door 12 from sagging when opened due to damaged components in the hinge 16.
While the Gwozdz device meets its goal when the hinge 18 dimensions are of the type for which the pivot hinge 20 is designed. If, however, a hinge 16 is encountered that is not typical (or at least one for which the pivot hinge 20 is designed to work with), then the leafs 22 and 24 and pivot pin 28 might not be functional. For example, if the gap between the top or side of the door 12 and frame 14 is particularly large, the upper jam leaf 24 might not be able to be securely mounted to the frame 14, because the frame cannot be reached (due to the fixed length of the pivot pin 28). Furthermore, if there are persistent misalignments between the door 12 and frame 14, the Gwozdz device cannot be adjusted to compensate for them; the relationship between the pivot pin 28 and the leafs 22 and 24 is fixed, and there can be no adjustment. If we now turn to FIG. 3, we can examine yet another attempt at solving the problem of broken hinges.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another prior art reinforcing hinge, namely the xe2x80x9cnon-handed shock arrestor door pivotxe2x80x9d 30 disclosed by Colamussi, U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,193. The Colamussi device 30 consists of a frame member 32 attached to the frame 14 by mounting screws 26, and a door member 34 attached to the door 12 by mounting screws 26. The members 32 and 34 each have first and second pivot apertures 36A and 36B, respectively, formed therethrough for accepting a pivot member 38 therein (i.e. a hinge pin). While the Colamussi device 30 does provide the user with the flexibility of installing the device 30 on either a right-handed or left-handed door 12 (i.e. doors with its hinges mounted on either the right or left side of the door), it does not solve the problems discussed above in connection with the Gwozdz device. Specifically, the pivot member 38 is inserted into the apertures 36A or 36B, and then screwed into place; this prevents the vertical distance between the frame member 32 and the door member 34 from being adjusted. Furthermore, as with the Gwozdz device, there is no way to adjust the orientation between the members 32 and 34 and the axis of the pivot member 38.
In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and systems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an Adjustable Reinforcing Hinge. The hinge of the present invention should act to replace an broken or otherwise damaged door hinge. The reinforcing hinge should be easily adjustable once installed in order to achieve superior alignment between the door and door jam. The hinge should be dimensioned so as to simplify the initial locating and mounting of the hinge on the door and door frame. The process for installing the reinforcing hinge should include the use of the specially-dimensioned elements of the hinge to also act as alignment guides during the location and installation of the reinforcing hinge.